DRB Prospect Review: #13 Mason Montgomery

11.11.2024 17:00

DRays Bay

Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images

A late season conversion to the bullpen led to Mason Montgomery becoming a high leverage reliever

Over the offseason, the Draybay community takes part in an exercise in which we compile a list of 30 prospects in the Rays system based on popular vote.

Now that the 2024 season has concluded, we can look back at these rankings and see how each individual player performed.

Reminder, this is a review of the prospects ranked heading into the 2024 season. This is not an updated ranking. Draysbay will begin the voting for the 2025 community top prospects later this offseason.

We have already covered the following:

We resume the reviews at #13.

13. Mason Montgomery

Before the Season

23 | 6’ 2” | 195

AA | 4.18 ERA, 107.2 IP (25 GS) 28.0 K%, 10.5 BB%

AAA | 2.70 ERA, 16.2 IP (4 GS) 18.8 K%, 15.9 BB%

A sixth rounder from 2021, Montgomery is a favorite over at Baseball Prospectus, ranking in the Rays organization’s top-five last year and in their Top-100 at No. 84. This season he lost some helium, especially after a few ugly starts in the second half kept him from getting his ERA under control in Montgomery, and then after only two runs allowed over three starts (16 innings) for Durham, he didn’t make it out of the first inning in his last start of the season on Sept 24. Montgomery has a lot of deception in his delivery, but it’s not one you’d want kids to emulate. He fastball has carry, as you’d expect, and his change up is a decent weapon. He works with a slider for same handed match ups, and it’s enough to project a back of the rotation role, assuming his arm stays attached to his body. Montgomery broke down his arsenal in conversation a David Laurila interview last year.

How it Went

Mason Montgomery entered the year on the year with the hopes of reaching the Tampa Bay Rays starting rotation at some point in 2024. Unfortunately, Montgomery struggled mightily in Durham and the Rays decided to try to convert him to the bullpen in early August to see how he would fare over shorter outings. The change resulted in Montgomery becoming a dominant force in one inning stints. From August 8th until his call-up in early September, Montgomery pitched 9 ²⁄₃ innings, allowed 0 runs on five hits and racked up 20 strikeouts. It would be more of the same from Montgomery upon joining the Rays bullpen.

Final 2024 Statline
AAA: 6.26 ERA | 5.39 FIP | 26.1 K% | 8.9 BB% | .290 AVG | 14.6 WHIFF% | 87 ²⁄₃ IP
MLB: 1.86 ERA | 1.20 FIP | 45.9 K% | 13.5 BB% | .188 AVG | 24.5 WHIFF% | 9 ²⁄₃ IP